Smile Belly

Chorizo Turkey Burger with Pickled Red Onions, Smoked Gouda and a Fried Egg

Chorizo Turkey Burger with Pickled Red Onions, Smoked Gouda and a Fried Egg

-1/2 lb chorizo or ground italian sausage

-1/2 lb ground turkey

-smoked gouda, sliced

- eggs, fried

- fresh rolls

FOR PICKLED RED ONIONS:

-one red onion, peeled and sliced into thin rings

-3/4 cup white vinegar

-1 bay leaf

-tbs sugar

- pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare pickled red onions first. Heat vinegar, sugar, salt and bay leaf until boiling. Add onions and reduce to low heat. Simmer for 30 sec-1 min. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Put onions in the fridge to continue cooling while you cook the burgers.

Blend chorizo and turkey, shape into burgers. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, turning once (put the cheese on the patties to melt a few seconds before taking out.) Toast buns, fry eggs, and voila! Delicious :)

PS- I didn’t put any condiments on this. The onions, cheese, egg and chorizo/sausage provided all the flavor I needed! 

Smoked-Salmon and Spinach Frittata

Smoked-Salmon and Spinach Frittata

Ingredients

• 8 large eggs- whites only
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons olive oil or vegetable oil
• 2 oz cold cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 oz thinly sliced smoked salmon, chopped
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 cup spinach, sauteed with 1 clove of garlic

Directions

Whisk together eggs, milk, pepper, salt, lemon and salmon in a bowl.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat oil in a 12-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet (if handle is plastic, wrap it in a double layer of foil) over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Sautee spinach and leave in pan- spreading out evenly across pan. Pour egg mixture into skillet and scatter cream cheese pieces on top, then cook until frittata is set on bottom and egg is almost set but still moist on top, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Bake frittata about 6 inches from heat until set, slightly puffed, and golden in patches, 10 minutes.

Cool 5 minutes, then loosen edge with spatula and slide onto a large plate. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

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Southern Sweet Potato Bread with Pecans

Southern Sweet Potato Bread

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup golden raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F ( 165 degrees C ). Grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg cinnamon, and sugar. Add the eggs, oil, and milk; mix until well blended. Finally, stir in the mashed sweet potatoes, pecans, and golden raisins. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow bread to cool in the pan at least 15 minutes before removing. For best flavor, store overnight before serving.

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Sweet and Spicy Chicken Chili

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

2  pounds ground chicken
2  teaspoons oil
2    onions, chopped 3  cloves garlic, minced
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
1  can beef broth
3 tbs brown sugar3 tablespoons chili powder
1  tablespoon cumin
1  teaspoon oregano
1  teaspoon cayenne
1  teaspoon coriander1  teaspoon salt
4 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, cook chicken in hot oil over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain off fat. Place chicken in a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker. Stir in onion, garlic, tomatoes, beans and seasonings.
2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 to 2-1/2 hours.
3. Top with sour cream and shredded cheese.

Zucchini and Squash Casserole

Zucchini and Squash Casserole

5 Stars

My review:

“I can’t believe I’m giving a meatless dish 5 stars, but there it is! This was phenomenal. I wasn’t sure about the measurements, so I used 2 medium zucchini’s and 3 summer squashes. It came out perfectly! The ritz complimented the dish perfectly. I might try to add chicken next time for a real entree casserole. Great recipe!”

Ingredients:

• 3  cups yellow squash, large diced
• 3  cups zucchini, large diced

• vegetable oil
• 1  large onion, chopped
• 4  tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1  cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1  cup crushed butter flavored cracker (recommended Ritz)

House Seasoning (use 1 teaspoon)

• 1  cup salt
• 1/4 cup black pepper
• 1/4 cup garlic powder
• butter flavored cracker (recommended Ritz)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Saute the squash in a little vegetable oil over medium-low heat until it has completely broken down, about 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Line a colander with a clean tea towel.
4. Place the cooked squash in the lined colander.
5. Squeeze excess moisture from the squash. Set aside.
6. In a medium size skillet, saute the onion in butter for 5 minutes.
7. Remove from pan and mix all ingredients together except cracker crumbs.
8. Pour mixture into a buttered casserole dish and top with cracker crumbs.
9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

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Cheesecake Bars with Raspberry Sauce

Cheesecake Bars with Raspberry Sauce

3.5 Stars

My review:

“The crust on these was good, which is lucky because they were mostly crust. I did not get the cheesecake taste or texture at all. When making these again, I might try to double the filling ratio. The raspberry sauce was awesome with this, it pretty much saved the day!”

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C).
2. To make Pastry: Cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the flour and chopped nuts and stir until mixture becomes crumbly. Set aside 1/4 cup to use as a topping.
3. Press pastry mixture into 8-inch square pan and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on rack.
4. To make Filling: Beat together the white sugar, and cream cheese until smooth. Stir in the egg, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla and mix well. Spread filling mixture over baked crust. Sprinkle reserved mixture on as a topping.
5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on wire rack and refrigerate. Serve with fruit.

For sauce:

Ingredients

• 1 pint fresh raspberries
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup cold water

Directions

1. Combine the raspberries, sugar, and orange juice in a saucepan. Whisk the cornstarch into the cold water until smooth. Add the mixture to the saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the desired consistency is reached. The sauce will thicken further as it cools.

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Country Pasta with Mozzarella

Country Pasta with Mozzarella

4 Stars

My review:

“We doubled the amount of bacon (mmm!) and made sure to drain the grease before adding the broccoli and garlic. The pasta took longer to cook than anticipated so we would make sure to start that well in advance next time. Used a mixture of pecori romano and grated parmesan cheese along with the mozzarella. Very stringy and hard to stir, but who cares! The cayenne added a wonderful zing. Will definitely make again!”

Ingredients

• 8 ounces rigatoni pasta
• 8 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Cook rigatoni according to package directions and drain.
2. In a 10 inch skillet cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is browned. Add the broccoli and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is slightly tender (about 4 to 5 minutes).
3. Stir in the cooked rigatoni, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with the fresh chopped parsley.

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